It is midsummer and your office is a sauna, and your workers are fanning with any paper work available to them. Your commercial air-conditioning system has been inexplicably noisy in the past few weeks, but you had been procrastinating on that phone call to get it fixed. Sound familiar? You may not be alone in nodding your head now, but you may be committing an expensive error.
It is easy to feel tempted to wait and see when your commercial AC begins to behave. You may believe that it is a small problem, but procrastinating and postponing a repair can lead to a lot of trouble in the future. This is why the first thing you must do when problems occur is to search for quality commercial ac repair near me.
Commercial HVAC systems are complicated and struggle to keep your company on track. Any slight failure in one component of the system can easily cause a domino effect, which impacts the whole unit. What could be just a few hundred dollar repair now, could easily be replaced in a few thousand dollars in the future.
The Not-so-Obvious Costs of Procrastination
Speaking of money – that is what is likely to be keeping you awake at night. Each time you postpone commercial repairs on the AC, you are gambling with money. A broken compressor does not simply go out of business one day, it slowly loses its efficiency and in the process, raises your energy bills one month at a time.
So to reason it out, would you like to spend money on a minor repair now or undergo the risk of having to do an emergency replacement in high season? The average emergency repair is four to six times more than a maintenance call. Also, you will probably find few available contractors at the time when everyone else has those systems collapsing all at the same time in the middle of extreme weather.
When the workplace is made uncomfortable, this also affects the productivity of your employees. Research indicates that an employee productivity decreases significantly when the office temperature is more than 77degF. Workers who feel uncomfortable take more breaks, commit more errors and can even call in sick more often.
Problems that look small become big disasters
Household AC systems are complicated and interdependent, and every component depends on the others to perform properly. Pay no attention to bizarre sounds, dysfunctional air circulation, and frequent on and off cycling. These do not amount to peanuts, but they are big red flags.
In case of such leakage like refrigerant, it may appear fine as your system is still cooling down. Yet, when the refrigerant is low, your compressor must put in a lot more effort. This will result in overheating and a complete failure, which makes a simple repair into a far more costly replacement.
Coils and dirty filters are the cause of similar cascading problems. Once the airflow has become limited, your system also overworks itself with attempts to keep the temperature settings. This additional load reduces the life of motors, belts and other important components.
The Domino Effect to Your Business Operations
It is not only your air conditioning system that influences temperature but your whole business ecosystem as well. Efforts to cause allergies and respiratory complications in both staff and customers due to poor indoor air quality caused by a faulty system. This translates to more sick days, customer dissatisfaction and possible liability issues.
Retail businesses also have another problem with AC system failure. Customers will not spend time in an uncomfortable atmosphere, which will have a direct effect on sales. It has even more severe repercussions to restaurants and food service facilities, since food safety compliance dictates certain temperature requirements by health departments.
It all depends on Professional Expertise
One of the most important factors to the success of your business is collaboration with experienced professionals. Air and Plumbing Systems Inc realizes that commercial HVAC systems are more complicated than residential systems and need specialized expertise, as well as immediate response. They work in a different way, occupy bigger spaces, and work all the time.
Professional technicians are capable of diagnosing any issues before they turn into an emergency. They have access to commercial-grade materials and tools that the average handyman does not and are aware of local building codes and efficiency regulations.
It can be of great advantage to sign up to a regular maintenance plan. These are usually sold with priority service, discounted repair, and extended warranties. Such kind of alliance is necessary whenever there are sudden hiccups, particularly at peak times.
Time to do something before it is too late
Then what are you to do now? Begin by listening to your system. Big warning signs will be strange sounds, irregular temperatures, increased energy bills, or inadequate air quality. Do not let your AC go fully down.
Have your system checked at least twice a year, once before the summer and once before the winter, when your system is at its most challenging. You should also maintain a close record of all repairs, such as when you replace filters or have them repaired. This allows technicians to more easily diagnose problems and can even assist in extending the warranty of your equipment.
There is also a smart thermostat or building management system that you might want to consider. They can automatically identify declines in efficiency and other problems before they become serious.
All in all, maintaining your AC system will save you money, keep your business secure, and keep all the people in your building comfortable. A routine repair should not become a costly last minute emergency. Your bank account will be glad that you did something today.